Adjusting means for tension mechanism



A. F. PIEPER ADJUSTING MEANS FOR TENSION MECHANISM Aug. 11, 1959 Filed Aug. 15. 1955 INVENTOR. ALPHONSE F P/EPER Iii,

HIS ATTORNEY ADJUSTIN G MEANS F OR TENSlON MECHANISM Alphonse F. Pieper, Brighton, N.Y.

Application August 15, 1955, Serial No. 528,366

4 Claims. (Cl. 287-20) This. invention relates to a. tension. mechanism for controlling the tension of strands or yarn in winding and other similar machinery where a pair of spaced guide arms or posts between and around which the strands travel are rotatively adjustable as a unit on a supporting plate, and has for its purpose to afford a simple and eificient means for retaining the guide arms. securely in proper relation tow the supporting plate while. at the same time permitting them to. be turned to adjust their relation to the traveling strands for varying thetension.

The structure has to domore particularly with an arrangement in which a pair of spaced parallel guide arms are mounted in. a holder and the holder is rotatively adjustable on a supporting plate in order to vary the tension exerted on the strands traveling between and around the arms, and it has for a particular purpose to: afford a locking or retaining means that secures the holder properly on the supporting plate while permitting the holder to be turned for adjustment in relation to the supporting plate.

In a more specific aspect, the invention consists in the provision of an elastic concavo-convex washer threaded on a portion of the holder and located between and en gaging the supporting plate and fastening nut, the washer extending laterally beyond the nut a substantial distance and acting after the nut is once tightened on the holder, to permit turning of the holder, washer, and nut as a unit on the supporting plate without loosening the nut in relation to the holder and washer.

To these and other ends, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts that will appear clearly from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, the novel features being pointed out in the claims following the specification.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is view in front elevation of a tension mechanism of the general type to which the invention is applicable;

Fig. 2 is similar view with the guide arms and holder adjusted to another position for varying the tension;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view on line 44 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which like reference numerals refer to the same parts throughout the several views, 1 designates a supporting plate forming part of the tension mechanism and Z is a holder mounted upon the supporting plate 1 for rotative adjustment to vary the position of guide arms or posts 3 and 4 between and around which the strand or yarn 5 travels.

The arms 3 and 4 which are formed of a refractory or ceramic material are mounted upon the holder 2 in any suitable manner, and the holder is provided with a neck portion 6 and reduced threaded end 7 which extends through an opening in the supporting plate 1, the holder having a shoulder at the inner end of the reduced States PatentO 2 ,89912 1 Patented, Aug. 11, 1959 threaded portion 7, which engages. the adjacent surface of the supporting plate 1 around the opening through which the threaded end 7 extends, the holder being thus mounted in the opening in the supporting plate and rotatively adjustable therein when necessary to increase or decrease the tension exerted on the traveling strands.

It is necessary to retain the holder on the supporting plate securely in order to insure proper functioning of the. guide arms. at all times, but with sufficient play to permit the required rotative adjustment of the holder and guide arms without affecting thev desired tightengagement between the holder and the supporting plate. To accomplish this, there is employed a concavo-convex washer 8 preferably of fibre or other slightly elastic material having an opening of the diameter of the threaded. end 7 and which. threads on the end 7 with the nut 9 as the latter is turned on the threaded end 7 of the. holder to. secure thelatter in position.

The. washer 8? is. of greater diameter than. the nut, extending laterally a. substantial distance beyond the nut, and preferably about twice. the diameter of the body portion of the nut Q whichv engages the convex surface of the. washer and turns the washer on. the threaded end 7. of theholder as. the. nut. is turned thereon to: secure the holder, in place. Whenin. position. to, retain. the holder properly, the. concave surface. of the washer faces the supportingplate 1 and the outer edgeof theconcave surface. of the. washer engages, the supporting plate 1 While the remaining portions of the concave surface of the. washer are spaced. more. or less from the. adjacent surface of the supporting plate 1,. the convex surface of the washer 8 being engagedby theadjacent. surfaceof the body of' the nut,.9. andfth'e. washer being in threaded engagement with the, threaded end;7 of-the. holder..

When thus attached, the holder 2 with the guide arms 3 and 4 mounted thereon may be turned on the supporting plate 1 to vary the tension of the yarn 5, and 'when thus rotatively adjusted, the washer 8 and fastening nut 9, turn with the threaded end 7 and the holder as a unit, and the tight relationship between the fastening nut 9, washer 8, and holder, is maintained regardless of the position to which the holder is adjusted, since during such adjustment, the washer 8 turns on the supporting plate 1 along with the nut 9 and holder and continuously functions to maintain the nut in the required tight relationship to the holder and supporting plate. In order to remove the holder and guide arms, it is necessary manually to turn the fastening nut 9 in the reverse direction and also to reverse the turning movement of the concavo-convex washer 8 on the threaded end 7. By thus removing the nut and washer, the holder can be detached from the supporting plate when necessary.

While the invention has been described, in relation to the particular construction shown, it is not confined to the details illustrated, and this application is intended to cover such modifications or departures as may come within the purposes of the improvement or the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. The combination with a fixed supporting plate having an opening therethrough and a holder mounted in said opening and rotatively adjustable on said plate, said holder including a shoulder engaging one side of the supporting plate and a threaded end extending through said opening, and a retaining nut engaging said threaded end, of a concavo-convex washer having an opening of the same diameter as said threaded end and having threaded engagement with said threaded end, the washer being located between and engaging the nut and the supporting plate with its concave surface facing the plate, the plate extending beyond the washer and the outer edge of the washer engaging the plate while the other parts of the concave surface are spaced from the plate whereby the holder, nut, and washer can be turned as a unit on the plate while the nut retains its tight adjusted relationship to the holder.

2. The combination with a fixed supporting plate having an opening therethrough and a holder mounted in said opening and rotatively adjustable on said plate, said holder including a shoulder engaging one side of the supporting plate and a threaded end extending through said opening, and a retaining nut engaging said threaded end, of a concave-convex washer of slightly elastic material having an opening of the same diameter as said threaded end and having threaded engagement with said threaded end, the washer being located between and engaging the nut and the supporting plate with its concave surface facing the plate, the plate extending beyond the washer and the outer edge of the washer engaging the plate while the other parts of the concave surface are spaced from the plate whereby the holder, nut, and washer can be turned as a unit on the plate while the nut remains its tight adjusted relationship to the holder.

3. The combination with a fixed supporting plate having an opening therethrough and a holder mounted in said opening and rotatively adjustable on said plate, said holder including a shoulder engaging one side of the supporting plate and a threaded end extending through said opening, and a retaining nut engaging said threaded end, of a concavo-convex washer of fibre material having an opening of the same diameter as said threaded end and having threaded engagement with said threaded end, the washer being located between and engaging the nut and the supporting plate with its concave surface facing the plate, the plate extending beyond the washer and the outer edge of the washer engaging the plate while the other parts of the concave surface are spaced from the plate whereby the holder, nut, and washer can be turned as a unit on the plate while the nut retains its tight adjusted relationship to the holder.

4. The combination with a fixed supporting plate having an opening therethrough and a holder mounted in said opening and rotatively adjustable on said plate, said holder including a shoulder engaging one side of the supporting plate and a threaded end extending through said opening, and a retaining nut engaging said threaded end, of a concave-convex Washer of fibre material hav ing an opening of the same diameter as said threaded end and having threaded engagement with said threaded end, the washer being located between and engaging the nut and the supporting plate with its concave surface facing the plate, the washer extending laterally beyond the body of the nut a substantial distance and the outer edge of the washer engaging the plate at a substantial distance from the threaded end of the holder while the other parts of the concave surface of the washer are spaced from and movable toward the plate when threaded with the nut on the holder whereby the holder, nut, and washer can be turned as a unit on the plate while the nut retains its tight adjusted relationship to the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,909 Bradley May 16, 1871 207,275 Hofiecker Aug. 20, 1878 455,896 Ballou July 14, 1891 1,443,486 Lindstrom Jan. 30, 1923 1,518,494 Elcock Dec. 9, 1924 1,977,068 Klein Oct. 16, 1934 2,833,491 Carroll May 6, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,112 Germany Mar. 15, 1910 227,526 Germany Oct. 24, 1910 121,962 Great Britain Jan. 22, 1920 

